Here is the introduction to Yunnan Dehe Mengzi-style Chrysanthemum and Ham Cross-Bridge Rice Noodles:

Regional and Cultural Background

• Origins: Rooted in traditional Mengzi Cross-Bridge Rice Noodles, Dehe, a time-honored Yunnan brand, innovatively incorporates chrysanthemums and ham. Mengzi-style rice noodles originated in the Qing Dynasty, legendarily linked to a scholar's study story. Chrysanthemums, commonly used in Yunnan cuisine for both flavor and aesthetics, pair with Xuanwei ham (a Yunnan specialty), balancing tradition with elegant innovation.

Core Ingredients and Craftsmanship

 Essence of the Soup Base:

 Simmer old hens, pork bones, and Xuanwei ham chunks over low heat for 8 hours. The salty aroma of ham blends with the richness of meat and bones, creating a clear, whitish soup with golden oil floating on the surface, exuding intense meaty fragrance.

Signature Ingredients:

 Chrysanthemums: Edible Hangzhou chrysanthemums or Gongju (tribute chrysanthemums) from Yunnan are selected. Fresh petals add delicate floral scent to the soup and offer heat-clearing, eye-nourishing effects.

 Ham: Xuanwei ham, taken from the肥瘦相间 (fatty-meaty) middle-upper part, is sliced as thin as cicada wings. Cooked ham tastes salty-sweet with a lingering aftertaste, and its油脂 (fat) melts in the hot soup, enhancing the broth's layered texture.

 Side Dishes: Alongside traditional ingredients like tenderloin, black carp slices, quail eggs, bean sprouts, and chives, chrysanthemum petals and mint leaves are added, creating a visual feast with colors: white (rice noodles), red (ham), yellow (egg), green (vegetables), and pale white (chrysanthemums).

 Rice Noodle Preparation: Mengzi sour rice noodles must be pre-soaked, cooked until just tender, and drained immediately to retain their smooth, chewy texture.

Dining Ritual and Flavors

Traditional Eating Method:

1. First, place raw meat slices and ham slices into the hot soup (temperature over 90℃) to blanch using the soup's residual heat.

2. Add chrysanthemum petals and vegetables, then put in rice noodles, and drizzle a little cooked oil to lock in the temperature.

3. Stir chrysanthemum petals into the soup when eating. The broth absorbs the ham's saltiness and chrysanthemum's fragrance, while rice noodles are coated in the soup for a rich, layered taste.

Flavor Characteristics:

 Mellow yet Clear Soup: The ham's saltiness balances the bone broth's richness, and chrysanthemum's freshness cuts through greasiness, making the soup refreshingly savory without being cloying, with a faint floral aftertaste.

 Ham's Flavor Enhancement: The salty-sweetness of Xuanwei ham is the highlight. Cooked ham fat infuses the soup, contrasting with the tender meat slices in texture.

Fresh and Refreshing Aftertaste: Chrysanthemum's sweet fragrance emerges after swallowing, making it ideal for warming the stomach in autumn/winter, while its heat-clearing property ensures it isn't heavy in summer.

Cultural and Innovative Value

This dish combines the traditional ritual of Mengzi Cross-Bridge Rice Noodles with Dehe's craftsmanship: chrysanthemums reflect Yunnan cuisine's "food as medicine" philosophy, and ham strengthens Yunnan's regional identity. Compared to traditional versions, it uses floral notes to balance the richness of meat and bones, catering to modern tastes for freshness while preserving the cultural essence of Cross-Bridge Rice Noodles—"one soup, one world"—making it a representative of time-honored Yunnan brands rejuvenating traditional cuisine.